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Times are tough, but that’s no reason not to celebrate. After all, even under challenging circumstances, your team needs to be acknowledged, cheered on, and possibly even rewarded for moving the needle. Here are three reasons to have a year-end function of some kind, whether big or small; simple or larney:

It’s a kind of shared anniversary, placing a marker in time and providing closure on a hard year or on a great year.

It’s a valuable team-building device, with potential to strengthen ties between existing employees, showcase company culture, and highlight big individual or group accomplishments.

It’s a way for management to thank staff, vendors, suppliers, clients, qualified prospects, and other contacts.

And yet, regardless of budget for the event, its purpose and objective must be clearly defined, or you won’t be able to judge its success (or failure).

So, if your purpose is ‘To show our staff how much we appreciate their hard work’, ensure that this message comes across clearly in the invitation, the food, the venue, and the tiny details. Your company’s values, priorities, and key messaging should be obvious from the way the event is rolled out, because you have a captive audience.

P.S. Having been in this business for 15 years, 360 Degrees has been involved in over 80 year-end functions. Here’s what NOT to do for your staff this year-end:

A Winter Wonderland. In Johannesburg. In December. When it’s 30-plus degrees.

A beach party. This one is just sad. When you cover your parking lot with inflatable pools, it’s a tragic reminder that you can’t afford to send people to the actual beach.

Cheapie gifts, in bulk. If you really want to say thank you to all of your 15 000 workers, please don’t do it with 15 000 gifts worth approximately R5 each.

Glittery table confetti. A better idea in principle than in practice, it hangs around long after the party memories have faded. Table confetti is the cockroach of the décor world – even nuclear holocaust can’t remove all of it from a venue.

Scented body products. They went out with the ark. Even then, they weren’t great.

Cupcakes in cute boxes. They don’t travel well. And they melt. Or crack. Or attract ants. In fact, avoid edibles altogether – unless they’re drinkable and in glass.

About 360

Event production by 360 Degrees is not the average. But then, neither is your brand. Our team is composed of the industry’s top event and conference creators; all brilliantly talented people with adventurous ways of thinking, different ways of seeing, and quirky ways of doing. Let’s get talking.